What exactly is Industry 4.0? How does it apply to my business? In Late 2020 when the BDC staff met to go over our goals for 2021, increasing the overall awareness of Industry 4.0 was one of them.

Today is your last chance to REGISTER for the Industry 4.0 Road Show being held tomorrow at the Mall of Monroe! See 4.0 technology in action. If you work in manufacturing, transportation, distribution or logistics or even if you are curious to learn more, join us! Space is limited due to COVID restrictions so be sure to register.

We are partnering with the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center) through a grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to offer some events that assist us in increasing awareness of Industry 4.0. We hope that you take advantage of these free learning opportunities.

On April 28, a webinar was offered giving an introduction to the "smart factory" technology. If you were unable to attend, please feel free to view the entire production here.

We hope to see you at the Road Show tomorrow!

Guardian Glass is one of the world's largest producers of float, value-added and fabricated glass products. They recently announced a program aimed at providing future employment to graduating high school seniors, current college students or anyone looking for seasonal employment. The "Summer Production Operator" program allows participants to gain real work experience for the summer at Guardian's Carleton plant while providing additional flexibility should they decide to begin or continue their post-secondary education in the fall.

Earlier this month, Guardian sought out 7 to 12 participants, age 18+, to join the program which runs from mid-May to mid-August. Wages begin at $18/hour with the potential to earn a $1,000 bonus at the end of the 3-month period. Participants will have the opportunity to continue fall employment with a flexible schedule to continue their academic pursuits or other opportunities.

Increase visibility of Monroe County ... Michigan's Cornerstone, by wearing the brand! The MICorner Online Store is open every other month and will be offering new products at every opening. Embroidery is our friend for June! And, offering some things that you won't be able to pass up for the summer months.

Mark your calendars to go out and see what is new on June 1^st. You will have the entire month of June to place orders; when July 1^st comes around, your next opportunity to place an order will be August 1^st.

Also, as a Monroe County business / municipality / manufacturer, you have co-branding opportunities available to use in your marketing strategy and day-to-day operations. Visit Michcornerstone.com and see some examples that may spark ideas. Click "Request Brand Logo Files" and fill out the form to gain access to the shared logo folder.

We are all part of the Monroe County Brand - it was developed to help us all tell the story of the southeast corner of Michigan, #MICorner. Take advantage of this opportunity and use it to show your pride in being a proud part of Michigan's Cornerstone.

This is compounded by the fact that the heavy-lifting needed to advance industrial properties to market often exceeds a company’s investment timelines. There is never enough time for due diligence and businesses locate elsewhere. DRP’s Verified Industrial Properties (VIP) program assists us with this process by adding Monroe County sites to the VIP system arming potential opportunities with verified information about the known conditions of vacant industrial sites and providing access to information that will aid interested parties in more quickly assessing the feasibility of a site for their project.

In 2020, DRP had over 300 new projects and completed more than 150 research requests for companies and site selectors looking for a home for their business. Having industrial real estate opportunities in Monroe County as part of their database assists us in getting recognized and noticed by a very large group of global investors giving them access to data at their fingertips. This program will help us get attention from site selectors and nurture new relationships that are already in place with DRP clients.

This is just one of the many programs available to the BDC due to our partnership with the DRP. Please call any of the BDC staff is you have any questions.

Monroe County Highlights by Florence Buchanan

The Monroe County Link Plan Pillar Teams have been busy with activity this past month. Please find below the April highlights:

If you would like to learn more or get involved in the Monroe County Link Plan, please contact the Project Manager, Florence Buchanan, via email or by phone at (419) 654-1934. You may also visit the Monroe County Link website!

The Monroe County Convention & Tourism Bureau develops a Visitors Guide each year showcasing the reasons why Michigan's Cornerstone is a place with many reasons to visit and explore all that we offer. We are pleased to introduce this year's edition in digital format (click on cover photo).

For more information on the Tourism Bureau, please visit their website at monroeinfo.com.